Most ridiculous complaints from customers?

[rob1963]

I am very proud of the fact that in 23 years of doing mobile discos, I've only had 4 complaints...all of which (in my opinion) were unjustified.....

One client complained that there was a song I played which not many people were dancing to (even though it was something dancey from the charts!).

Another complained because I played the wrong version of the first dance (even though he hadn't told me there were two different versions!). He refused to pay the full amount & I ended up accepting about £70 less than the total due...this is the only time I've not received the correct payment.

Someone else complained that not many people were dancing, because the music I played wasnt very good (even though 90% of it was from their own request list & the rest was from my top 100 requests list!).

My last complaint was from the landlord of a pub where I worked on Christmas eve just over a year ago. He accused me of not speaking, of smoking too much, and of just doing the bare minimum. I thought this was strange - as I'd also done Christmas eve there the previous year & he'd loved me at THAT gig! The only difference was that the first time I was there I actually had a bad cold & had totally lost my voice, so I couldnt say a word all night...but he liked me & wanted me back the following year. The following year, I had my voice & spoke at least a dozen times in the evening - and yet he accused me of NOT speaking!!! I don't understand some people.

Is it just me, or have any of you had any ridiculous complaints? and if so, what were they?

[BeerFunk]

Yep, you're always gonna get unjustified complaints. It's something you can live with if it's just drunk punters, but when it's from the clients just because things didn't go their way, and they need a scapegoat, it can get quite ridiculous.

The landlord of a pub I used to have a residency at was guilty of this. He had an offer from a couple of younger kids who were going to work for half of what he was paying me, and he didn't have the bottle to tell me straight - so he constantly undermined and harrassed me. This included telling me I wasn't updating my music enough each week, which was an outrageous claim as I was paying about £30 a week for a promo CD subscription. He would also constantly come and tell me to turn the volume down, to the point where it was like a Hi-fi playing, and obviously I looked a bit stupid. He then told (not so much asked) me to play Hogmanay for £80, and if I didn't I wasn't to come back. So, to get back at him, I agreed but didn't turn up. I'm not proud of this, and would never do it again, but I certainly don't regret it. And what happened to him? He lost the pub a few months later after being hit with fines for selling to under-agers, having his license revoked, and spiralling into debt.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I had a complaint that I'd played the bride and grooms first song several times....and to this day I know I didn't and have no idea what they were on about!

[|DJChris|]

I had more of a confrontation than a complaint once.
A drunk man walked up to the booth at the end of the night, just after i had finished saying on the mic that this was the last song.
I was playing a slow song, lady in red infact, a good number of couples were dancing, no problems there! but he then proceeded to claim that lady in red was an awful slow song and demanded I play, 'Aerosmith-Dont wanna miss a thing'. The he added, if i didnt I would ruin the night and he would punch me in the face!:eek: . Thankfully I handled it well, managed to fob him off.:cool:

[BeerFunk]

Lady In Red is an awful song :rolleyes:

(IMHO)


...but that's not the point, the guy was still being a gonk!

[soundtracker]

:D Brought it upon yourself - I'd have hit you as well!:D :D :D

[sleah]

He accused me of ......, of smoking too much,

HA! Serves you right for being a smoker :p Not that I am against smoking or anything :rolleyes:
Sounds like the guy was an idiot, but I back him for complaining about smoking - he'll be 100% justified come 1st July :)
I have a problem with people who are working in the public eye who smoke. I know it's wrong to think any worse of them..... I think I've been round far too many inconsiderate smokers where I can't avoid it - like when DJing.
Ironically, I share my DJ booth with a doorman, who smokes, but I consider him a more considerate smoker. There is an extractor behind him and he never deliberatly has it in my face and doesn't hold it near me or the mixer :) Be better if he didn't smoke, but at least it's a compromise.

Back to complaints - I think most of us have experienced all of the above in some capacity at some time....
The 'Why are you playing this rubbish?' when the dancefloor is full and/or people tapping feet/humming seems to be a favourite:rolleyes:
Most people with experience in the leisure industry regularly come across that group of people who will moan for the sake of it.

My favourite was a couple of years ago... Chicago Rock Cafe.... party having a meal. One bloke decided to moan about something relatively trivial, and of course the manager tried to put things right but the guy was having none of it, after about an hour the management gave up and had him thrown out:D ...... and probably banned:D
Gave us a good laugh that night!

[Dragonfly]

the "play something good" crowd i have an answer to which works every time

"ladies and gentlemen ive just had a request to play something good from one of our number so here it is AC/DC Highway to hell fantastic track"

and the play something we can dance to crowd just deserve to be mugged by starlings on the way home !!!!

[Vectis]

Most recent odd complaint, which I am assured was made tongue-in-cheek was:

"That was great, BUT you didn't play any Scottish country dancing! Did you not realise at least half of us were Scottish?"

:bang:

However I HAD realised the high contingent of our friends from the frozen north, and had a fab response to songs from Scottish bands all night long (not difficult as it was primarily a 70s night) and finished off with BCRs and Dignity which both brought the house down! :D

[rob1963]

Hi Sleah!

I agree with you about smoking. I don't think it looks very professional to smoke when you are working...and thats one of the reasons why I gave up in January 2006.

You were right about the guy being an idiot, when he loved me the first year, and complained about me the following year.

As things turned out, I got something back for having to put up with that idiot, although it was unintentional. He handed me an envelope with my money in, and I immediately took it out to count - only to discover it was £60 short! He checked it himself, agreed it was short & went to get another £60 for me. While he was doing this, I suddenly noticed that there was still some money in the envelope in my hand.....three £20 notes! I decided to play it cool & keep quiet, and he duly came back with my extra £60, so at least I got a nice tip to make up for the fact that he was an idiot!

[rob1963]

Dragonfly - I agree with you about the "Play something good" and "Play something we can dance to" brigade.

When they say that, I always ask what song they would like, and half the time, they say "I don't know...just something good, you know"

Makes me laugh every time!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

As things turned out, I got something back for having to put up with that idiot, although it was unintentional. He handed me an envelope with my money in, and I immediately took it out to count - only to discover it was £60 short! He checked it himself, agreed it was short & went to get another £60 for me. While he was doing this, I suddenly noticed that there was still some money in the envelope in my hand.....three £20 notes! I decided to play it cool & keep quiet, and he duly came back with my extra £60, so at least I got a nice tip to make up for the fact that he was an idiot!

Not sure that's a great thing to do, even if the guy was an idiot.

Personally, I would have had more integrity and honesty and given his money back.

[BeerFunk]

Na, what goes around comes around.

[rob1963]

Solitaire...I didn't say it WAS a great thing to do.

I'd like to make the point that I've been overpaid a few times in the past, and I've ALWAYS given the money back, but in this case I decided to keep the extra money, due to the way he treated me....which I found to be unacceptable. He certainly didn't do ME any favours, so there was no way I was doing HIM any!

[|DJChris|]

Lady In Red is an awful song :rolleyes:

(IMHO)


...but that's not the point, the guy was still being a gonk!

haha its is pretty bad, but still, surely doesnt deserve that treatment.

Infact its amazing how badly some dj's are treated to be honest.
As for the DJ Smoking debate, i'm a smoker too, an honestly, the amount of stress that some anoying people can cause you, deserves the right to have the odd ciggarete. even if it means sticking the player on continue and sneaking out back haha.

[BeerFunk]

I don't know how you manage it to be honest, there are some gigs, particularly karaokes, where I have to hold my bladder for stupid lengths of time - let alone anything else! :(

[|DJChris|]

I don't know how you manage it to be honest, there are some gigs, particularly karaokes, where I have to hold my bladder for stupid lengths of time - let alone anything else! :(

Karaokes are a nightmare.
But the way i deal with needing to use the loo is simple, i use a, 'Flip Flop', feature on my kit, basically, after the CD has finished playing it will automatically start the next track on the other cd from any track i have selected.
Also if your decks have a,'program' fuction, thats useful too!.

[BeerFunk]

Yeah, I can do relay play on mine too, but when the pressure is on you to keep the floor filled, it doesn't always work out the way you want it to - you have to keep the rhythm/momentum going... well, you all know what I'm talking about?! :D

Also, if you do walk-ins, you can't be sure the venue's equipment is capable of relay play

[soundscapes]

if you need a wee just stick paradise by the dashboard light on. Give you enough time for a wee, a poo, read the paper and pop to the bar as well !

[Dragonfly]

if you need a wee just stick paradise by the dashboard light on. Give you enough time for a wee, a poo, read the paper and pop to the bar as well !


oooooohhhh far more information than we needed!!! :D

[spin mobile disco]

I found love shack by the b52's 12 inch version is a good one when caught short.

[BeerFunk]

Haha, I wouldn't inflict 12 inches of love shack on the dance floor! :eek:

The Tight Fit Back To The Sixties Medley is probably the only long player I'd go with...

[soundscapes]

dirty dancing megamix, 11mins 59secs

[Dragonfly]

my god this thread is positively blue 12 inches of love on the dance floor followed by dirty dancing wash your mouths out :D :D

[Mission]

dirty dancing megamix, 11mins 59secs

I'll second that. Great for a toilet stop or a get a glass of pop from the bar. Still usually get someone to stand behind the disco while gone though.

[rob1963]

Errrr......is it me, or are we drifting slightly off topic here?